Following the team with a unique perspective on all things Phillies.Email me: PhilliesPhollowers@comcast.net – Peace, Love & Baseball – Jenn

Results tagged ‘ Brian Schneider ’

Has anyone been watching the World Series? I have not been able to. Not because my TV blew up or squirrels chewed through my cable lines, but because it is just too depressing. The 2011 World Series without the Phillies? *SIGH* :O(

The only thing I think about right now is that there are approximately 124 days, 2,996 hours, 179,761 minutes and 10,785,690 seconds left until players report to Spring Training. That means I have ahead of me approximately 124 days, 2,996 hours, 179,761 minutes and 10,785,690 seconds of sheer boredom and misery.

I know, I should really get a grip. Perhaps join a 12-step program? But I simply cannot fathom what those 12-steps might be that would be able to lift me out of this funk.

To make matters worse, there are many impending decisions on the horizon that will greatly impact the future of this Phillies team. There are seven free agents the Phils have to make decisions on: Jimmy Rollins, Ryan Madson, Roy Oswalt, Brad Lidge, Raul Ibanez, Brian Schneider and Ross Gload.

My thoughts are that the options on Lidge and Oswalt’s contracts will not be picked up nor will either player be resigned. Neither lived up to expectations this year and injuries were a huge problem.

Madson’s agent is Scott Boras. That being said, the Phillies will not be able to afford to resign him. Plus, rumor has it that Madson’s wife hates Philadelphia. He is gone.

As for the other four, Gload and Ibanez likely will not be back. This team needs to get younger and healthier. The Phils will probably resign Schneider at a discount as his offensive numbers are exactly that – offensive. And Rollins will hopefully return after some intense negotiations.

And all of that is also depressing. This team we have all come to know and love will be broken apart with holes likely to be filled with some new faces. Change is necessary here, especially after the final results of this season with the team ousted way earlier than expected. But that does not make it less sad :O(

I am currently in the process of peeling myself out of this dark, hopeless abyss where I am blubbering uncontrollably while cowering in a corner. This disappointing season has been difficult to cope with, but we must all make a commitment to try.

Although, if trying includes watching the Rangers and Cardinals, I may pass for now. It is just too demoralizing right now :O(

Extras: Infielder Pete Orr and Catcher Erik Kratz will travel with the team. RHP Justin De Fratus, LHP Joe Savery and outfielder Domonic Brown will work out in Clearwater, FL and Outfielders John Bowker and Brandon Moss and RHP Michael Schwimer have been sent home.

The only slightly interesting move here is that Blanton was chosen for the roster instead of David Herndon, despite missing most of the season with injuries. The Phillies chose experience over a younger guy, even though Herndon was with the team most of the year.

As for the pitching match-ups in the series, here are the probable starters for the Phillies and Cardinals:

Game 1: Roy Halladay vs. Kyle Lohse (ex-Phillie)

Game 2: Cliff Lee vs. Chris Carpenter (on 3 days rest)

Game 3: Cole Hamels vs. Jaime Garcia

These are some odd moves by Tony LaRussa. It will either turn out to be genius, or a huge mistake. The Phillies should be able to handle Lohse and will then get Carpenter on short rest. That is another situation they can probably take advantage of.

The pitcher the Phils have the most trouble with is Garcia, who was pushed back to Game 3 because his home numbers are much better than his road numbers.

This all seems to add up to a Phillies advantage, however, that remains to be seen. Also of note, Game 2 has been pushed back to 8:37pm (ugh) on Sunday due to the Yankees – Tigers rain postponement.

I also wanted to share with you an article I just read about how Danys Baez has helped Antonio Bastardo out of his recent pitching funk. Baez was released by the Phillies in July and was not picked up by another team. He has been sitting at home in Miami watching and noticed Bastardo, a player he previously mentored, was having problems. He reached out to Bastardo and helped him find the issues in his mechanics.

Bastardo has bounced back since then and it seems that Baez is the reason. The story made me a little sad, thinking about how much criticism Baez took while he was in Philly from fans and media. For him to swallow his pride and reach out to an ex-teammate like that is a sign of true character. He may not have been the bullpen solution the Phillies hoped for, but he gets huge brownie points in my book for just being a great guy.

The Phillies 5-0 win over the Rockies Tuesday night marked their 5th straight win. They also became the first team in baseball to reach 70 wins and continue to hold the best record in the game. As a Phillies fan, life is good.

The word “baffle” is usually not used in the same sentence as the name “Kendrick,” unless it is Kendrick who looks confused, not the opposition. Kendrick has been an up and down pitcher throughout his career in Philly. It is that inconsistency that is partly the reason he has not earned a solid spot in the rotation. The other part is, of course, the rest of the Phillies starting pitchers, who are outstanding.

But in this game, Kendrick looked like he could keep pace with the likes of Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee. Over eight innings, Kendrick allowed only four hits as he shut-out the Rockies. Kendrick will go back to his home in the bullpen as a long-man once Roy Oswalt returns, but the value of a guy like Kendrick cannot be overlooked.

While Kendrick has pitched well, he has also benefitted from good run support. Ryan Howard smacked two solo homers tonight. Hunter Pence went 2-for-3 with an RBI and Brian Schneider drove in another run on a sac fly.

Back-up catcher Schneider is another example of how important it is to have a solid bench and players who are versatile. He is not setting the world on fire with his bat by any means, but he calls a good game behind the plate and contributes on offense where he can.

The Phillies have a shot at sweeping this series tomorrow afternoon before what is sure to be a difficult series against the Giants. Six straight wins would be very nice momentum going into San Francisco.

Game time Wednesday is 3:10pm; Roy Halladay will pitch in his hometown of Denver.

Tuesday night’s Phillies – Giants game was one of the most exciting games I have been to in a long time. And the excitement started before the game even began. About an hour before the start time, the Giants announced that Barry Zito would pitch in place of ace Tim Lincecum, who had the flu.

At first, this was disappointing. Seeing Lincecum pitch is really fun with his odd delivery and demeanor on the mound. But with Zito, there was certainly a better chance for the Phillies to win the game.

Vance Worley started for the Phillies and did an amazing job. He kept his pitch count low and used all sides of the plate with good location to confuse the Giants. Zito did not fare as well; perhaps his super-tight pants were cutting off his circulation? You be the judge:

Worley was backed by some great Phillies offense, including four home runs. Raul Ibanez, Ryan Howard,John Mayberry Jr. and Chase Utley all took part in the home run parade. The defense was hot as well, with many great leaping plays, especially the one from Ibanez (top right) who scaled the wall in the ninth inning to help out Worley:

But the biggest homer of the night was of the inside-the-park variety from Utley. He smashed a ball into center which kicked around enough that Utley never stopped running. It was a close play, but he was safe. And another rare thing occurred right afterwards; Utley smiled…during a game. Yes, shocking, I know. Here is some of the sequence from the homer:

Former Phillie Aaron Rowand made a short appearance in the game as a pinch hitter in the 8th. He strutted to the plate looking determined to show how much he loves hitting in this ballpark. I told the guy next to me, “Watch…one pitch and he’ll homer.” No kidding…it happened. Must be that “interesting”…ahem!…stance of his:

But as Rowand enjoyed his time travel to the past, Worley was not phased. That run made the score 6-2 and in the bottom of the inning, Howard’s homer bumped the lead to 7-2.

Worley finished the game with just two runs allowed on three hits with 114 pitches. He and catcher Brian Schneider celebrated his 1st career complete game and afterwards, even Roy Halladay shared an appreciative laugh with the young pitcher:

After getting spanked by the Mets on Saturday in an 11-2 loss, the Phillies needed a win today. Kyle Kendrick, sometimes a starter, sometimes a reliever, came through for the team and pitched very well.

Over seven innings, Kendrick allowed only one run on six hits and three walks. He did not strike anyone out, but got ground balls when he needed to, keeping the Phillies in line for a win.

Kendrick was also one of four Phillies who had a multi-hit game today. Kendrick’s two singles matched two hits from Brian Schneider and Raul Ibanez with Jimmy Rollins adding three hits of his own.

But the big bang came off the bat of rookie Michael Martinez who hit his first major league home run against Mets pitcher Mike Pelfry with two men on base. He added a fourth RBI later with a sac fly, so it was a big day for Martinez.

The emergence of Martinez has been great timing for the Phillies. They will need to lean on him a lot in the coming weeks as Placido Polanco is still having back issues and no one is sure when he will return. The more Martinez plays, the more he hits, which may force Charlie Manuel to keep putting him out there.

The Phillies kept adding on until they had an 8-1 lead after the top of the eighth. But in the bottom of the eighth, things got a little hairy for the Phils.

Lefty Juan Perez loaded the bases with Mets on three straight walks without recording an out. Ryan Madson was called in to clean up the mess. Madson got two outs, although two runs did score as he gave up a few hits and a walk. The Phillies wound up bringing Antonio Bastardo in to get the final out and also to pitch the ninth.

Bastardo got out of a wild eighth inning, but wound up allowing a run in the ninth. It was the first run he allowed since May 25th. And although the lead was cut down to 8-5, Bastardo finished the game, earning the save.

The Phillies will travel to Chicago next to play three games against the Cubs. The first is Monday night at 8:05pm with Roy Halladay pitching.

There were a number of moves made right before tonight’s Phillies – Athletics match-up. Catcher Brian Schneider came off the DL, while Roy Oswalt went on the DL. With no need for a 3rd catcher, Dane Sardinha was sent back down and pitcher Scott Mathieson was recalled and added to the bullpen. And J.C. Romero cleared waivers, declined a minor league offer and was then given his outright release.

And while that was a whole lot of movement in one day, no one expected these roster moves to be the big action of the night. Because once the game started, it was nap time.

I like a pitcher’s duel as much as the next fan, but this game, although it remained hitless for a long, long time, was not your typical duel. The pitching was not super sharp from either team and both sides issued a bunch of walks.

Despite the slight sloppiness, neither team earned a hit until two outs into the sixth inning. Vance Worley’s no-hitter was broken up by a Hideki Matsui double.

In the bottom of the sixth, Placido Polanco got the first hit of the night for the Phillies with a single against Guillermo Moscoso. Pronouncing Moscoso’s name was more entertaining than his pitching as the game dragged on with little action.

By the eighth inning, each team had only two hits. And both teams had issued five walks each by the time the ninth inning began. Several fans left in the stands appeared to be struggling to keep themselves upright.

As the yawns continued and the Phillies offense snoozed, even my cat fell asleep. But a 0-0 ballgame is no time for a cat nap!

So in the 9th inning, Shane Victorino walked and Domonic Brown got his second single of the night. A sac fly moved them into scoring position. So with two outs, Ben Francisco stepped to the plate, determined to wake up all the sleepy fans in the stands. He smacked an RBI-single to left for the walk-off win.

The Phillies just barely pulled off a 1-0 win to open this home stand. And now, because it took them nine innings to wake me up, I will not be able to sleep for hours. But when I finally do, at least I will have pleasant dreams ;o)

Cole Hamelspitches tomorrow! And with any luck, the offense will join him in the effort; game time is 7:05pm.

The Phillies won three of their last four games against the Cubs thanks in part to the big bats of Ryan Howard and Chase Utley. The fourth game in the series today ended with a 4-3 victory.

Roy Oswalt got off to a rough start, allowing three runs in the first inning. But after he calmed down, Oswalt wound up going seven innings and did allow another run after the first.

However, Oswalt was involved in a little controversy after being called out on strikes in the sixth. The pitch looked like ball four and Charlie Manuel shouted from the dugout at the home plate umpire. He was quickly ejected which led to a few fireworks:

Manuel had reason to be upset. Prior to this incident, he watched his ball club load the bases twice with one out and score only one run each time. The bases were even loaded with the exact same players in both the first and third innings; Utley, Howard and Ben Francisco. Francisco drew a walk each time.

Coming away with only one run in the exact same situation twice had to be frustrating. It was just another reminder of how the Phillies offense has struggled to score runs.

But the memory was just that….a memory. Because in the seventh inning, Utley and Howard combined to set things straight. Utley doubled and then a single from Howard drove in two runs. Howard had three hits and three RBI in the game. Utley ended with two hits, a walk and two runs scored.

Utley also made what was probably a game-saving catching to end the game in the ninth inning. Ryan Madson allowed a single with two outs. Then Geovany Soto, who hit the game tying homer against Madson on Thursday, hit a fly ball into no-man’s land. Somehow, Utley got to the ball and the game was over. Whew!

By the way, today was the annual Father’s Day celebration and catcher Brian Schneider brought his mom and dad. Dad tossed out the first pitch.

The Phillies are off tomorrow, although they will all be at the Phillies Phestival which starts at 5pm Monday night. Hope to see you there!

If you ask Phillies fans today if they can pass on any good news about this team right now, you will have a difficult time getting an answer. So, good news? Anyone?? …

Let us quickly recap all of the BAD news:

– The Phillies have now lost FOUR games in a row for the first time all year.

– Two of those losses were against the last place Nationals (NL East) and two more against the fourth place Pirates (NL Central).

– The Phillies have scored three runs or less in all four losses.

– Since coming off the DL, Chase Utley is hitting .195. He ended tonight’s game by flying out with the bases loaded.

– Ryan Howard suddenly looks like an automatic out at the plate. He hits into the shift next to first base on a regular basis. He hit there again tonight with an inning-ending double play with a man on third.

– Jimmy Rollins was removed from the game early with a patellar contusion. He fouled a ball off his kneecap in the first inning.

– Brian Schneider suffered a “setback” in his rehab. The Phillies say he is basically having to start all over.

– Brad Lidge had a setback of his own; he has stiffness in the shoulder he is trying to rehab.

As the lack of run support curse for Cliff Lee and other pitchers continues, the Phillies are somehow still winning games. Wednesday night, the beat the Marlins by a score of 5-3 and lee wound up with a no-decision.

Through six innings, Lee allowed three runs, although a few of those may have been due to defense and field positioning. At the plate, Lee smacked a single that should have scored Brian Schneider. But as he rounded third base, Schneider grabbed his leg and limped back to third base.

Adding to already long list of Phillies injuries, Schneider was lifted from the game and may end up on the DL. The good news is that Carlos Ruiz should be coming off the DL and the two can swap places on Friday before the Braves series.

The Phillies were down 3-0 going into the seventh inning. But a the Phillies bench came to the rescue just in time. Pete Orr was the star, hitting two doubles, one in the seventh and one in the ninth. A home run by Shane Victorino tied the game in the eighth and also extended his hitting streak to 14 games.

As Jimmy Rollins stepped to the plate in the ninth with two outs and two men in scoring position, I held my breath. Rollins had come to the plate three times with two outs in this game already and made the last out each time, leaving men stranded on base all three times as well.

In this case, the fourth time was the charm. J-Roll singled, which scored two runs and gave the Phillies the 5-3 lead. Ryan Madson closed the game out and is now 5-for-5 in save opportunities.

The Phillies are off on Thursday as they travel to Atlanta to take on the Braves Friday night at 7:35pm.

Game two against the Nationals was a very good day for young pitcher Vance Worley. Filling in for the injured starter, Joe Blanton, Worley made his second start of the year tonight and notched his second win.

Through six innings, Worley allowed only one run on four hits with one hit batter. He also smacked a single into left and later scored in the fifth inning. Worley has been so good, some may be wishing that Blanton really takes his time coming back.

By the way, have you all seen the new Vance Worley fan club? They call themselves “Worley’s Warriors.” So is it just me, or do they look less like warriors and more like a Mariachi Band?

Anyway, the offense did their job tonight as well. Raul Ibanez put the final touches on a newly busted slump, going 3 for 4 with a solo homer. While his batting average will take some time to recover, currently at .194, the hitting funk is officially over.

Jimmy Rollins had a nice day as well, relishing his return to the lead-off spot with two hits, an RBI and a walk. Also with two hits, Brian Schneider continues to fill in for the ailing Carlos Ruiz. And Shane Victorino collected two RBI.

The best part of the offense tonight was watching the Phillies go around the diamond one base at a time in the sixth inning to score four runs. The small ball is back and the Phillies are scoring again.

Another return tonight was that of J.C. Romero, fresh off a rehab assignment. Romero pitched a clean seventh inning and appears to be in very good shape. Upon being added to the roster, pitcher David Herndon, who has been struggling, was optioned to AAA.

The Phillies went on to win by a score of 7-4 after Danys Baez allowed a 3-run homer in the 9th. Ugh.

FYI – Our old buddy Jayson Werth has had only one hit in the series so far.

The final game of the series is Thursday night at 7:05pm. Roy Halladay will pitch.

Side note: Matt Stairs, now with the Nationals, got his 100th career pinch hit tonight. Congrats, Matt!

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